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Iron Age Patterns

I just returned from a visit to Denmark to see my family and I also had the opportunity to see many different attractions, such as The Round Tower and Our Church of Saviour in Copenhagen. When I travel I always keep an eye out for patterns that I can photograph, such as patterns on windows, walls, churches, and on the streets where I walk. I get inspirations from the patterns I see and use some of them in my tablet weaving.

I also had the opportunity to visit The National Museum of Denmark.

The part of the Museum that I found most interesting was the Ancient section. The section covers the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and the Viking period. I was most interested in the Iron Age (500 B.C.-A.D. 800). One of the reasons that period interests me is the two wooden tablets which were found dated to A.D. 90- 270. These tablets are thought to be the oldest known examples in Scandinavia and the oldest four hole tablets in existence. They were made of wood. They were found with the Dejbjerg Carts, a very famous find in Denmark. Many of the items found with the carts are on display in the Museum but I was disappointed that the tablets were not there for me to see. There is a picture of the tablets in my book Tablet-Woven Accents for Designer Fabrics: Contemporary Uses for AncientTechniques,page 3. If you are interested you can read more about the Dejbjerg Carts here: http://en.natmus.dk/historical-knowledge/denmark/prehistoric-period-until-1050-ad/the-early-iron-age/the-wagons-from-dejbjerg/

The other reason I am interested in the Iron Age is because many well preserved textiles have been found dated to that period. In the Museum I saw the Huldremose Woman. She has been dated to 2nd century BC and found in a bog in Jutland. Because of the acid in the bog and the lack of air exposure she was well preserved when she was found in 1879. She was wearing a woven woolen skirt and scarf, and two skin capes with the wool turned to the inside. If you are interested you can read more about the Huldremose Woman here: http://en.natmus.dk/historical-knowledge/denmark/prehistoric-period-until-1050-ad/the-early-iron-age/the-woman-from-huldremose/

I am sorry about the quality of the images from the Museum it is difficult to photograph through Plexiglas and in a very dark room.

From July 16-18 I will be teaching a workshop at MAFA (Mid-Atlantic Fiber Association). I will try to remember to take pictures and post some here.